Instrumentation
Picc, 2 Fl (2=picc), 2 Ob, EH, 3 Cl (3=Bcl), 2 Bsn, Cbsn / 4 Hn, 3 C Tr, 2 Ttbn, Btbn, Tba / Timp, 3 Perc / Hp, Pno / 16.14.12.10.8
‘Fairytale’ was originally written for the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and premiered in 2002 under Cliff Colnot. It was subsequently revised in 2012 and performed by the IU University Orchestra under Mannie Laureano. The piece is modeled after an archetypal fairytale and divided into three Campbellian sections: the entrance into fairyland, an encounter with something the hero must overcome, and the triumph and return to reality. Musically, Fairytale can be thought of as one long melodic thread that undergoes a number of variants. At one point, primarily in the second section, the melody is played almost exclusively by a solo cello, which has a significant obbligato part. The final section begins with a rousing fanfare (based on material encountered in the second section), rushing and boiling feverishly until it evaporates into the ether.
Premiere
2002, rev. version premiered 2012
Commissioned by
Civic Orchestra of Chicago